1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to animal whistles, and, in particular, to an animal warning device for alerting, and in turn warning, various animals, such as deer, that a vehicle to which the device may be attached, is approaching.
2. Background Art
Animal whistles, and more particularly animal whistles for attachment to vehicles, such as automobiles, for alerting animals that the vehicle is approaching, have been known in the art for several years. Typically, such prior art animal whistles have generated an ultrasonic frequency through the creation of subatmospheric pressure within the device--wherein the subatmospheric pressure results from wind being blown into the device. Accordingly, the subatmospheric pressure excites a pipe within the path of travel of the wind to, in turn, vibrate the pipe which then creates an ultrasonic tone. The tone then emerges from a horn section and is then deflected off of a portion of the neck of the whistle in a direction toward the line of travel of the vehicle to which the device is attached. An example of such prior art can be found in Hoffelner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,428.
Although such prior art animal whistles have been found to be somewhat effective, with respect to alerting animals directly in the line of travel of the vehicle to which the device is attached, such prior art devices have failed to teach, much less disclose, dispersing the generated tones in a radiated, spray-like pattern so as to alert animals along the sides of the road, and, in turn, off to the side of the vehicle, as well. Indeed, although the prior art does disclose means for adjusting the direction of the broadcasted tones, such as shown in Rezmer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,630, the generated tones are not contemplated to be simultaneously broadcasted in the direction of the line of travel of the vehicle and the sides of the vehicle from a single broadcasting position.